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The '''Orthodox Church of France''' (''l'Eglise Orthodoxe de France'' or , formerly ''l'Eglise Catholique Orthodoxe Catholique de France'', a.k.a. or ''l'ECOF'') is an autonomous diocese church comprised of three dioceses of [[Western Rite]] parishes in France formed under in 1936 by the auspices of [[Jean-Nectaire (Kovalevsky) Church of Saint-Denis|Evgraph KovalevskyRussia]] and . The Orthodox Church of France is currently neither recognized by nor in communion with any of the [[Vladimir LosskyList of autocephalous and autonomous churches|autocephalous or autonomous Orthodox Churches]]in the 1930s and 1940s.
==History==
In 1937, the [[Church of Russia]] received a small group under the former Liberal Catholic bishop, Louis-Charles (Irénée) Winnaert (1880-1937), dubbing them ''l'Eglise Orthodoxe Occidentale'' ("Western Orthodox Church"). The work Upon his repose, the leadership of Winnaert the Church was continued, though not without some occasional conflict, by turned over to [[Jean-Nectaire (Kovalevsky) of Saint-Denis|Evgraph Kovalevsky]] (1905-1970) and . Also in the French Church were [[Denis (Chambault)|Lucien Chambault]], the latter of which who oversaw a small Orthodox [[Rule of St. Benedict|Benedictine ]] community in the rue d'Alleray in Paris (as Pére Denis). Also associated with them was , and the former Benedictine monk, Archimandrite [[Alexis van der Mensbrugghe ]] (1899-1980), who favorably viewed the restoration of the ancient Roman rite cleansed of medieval accretions and supplemented by Gallican and Byzantine interpolations. In 1948, he published his ''Liturgie Orthodoxe de Rite Occidental'' and in 1962 the ''Missel Orthodoxe Rite Occidental''.
[[Image:Kovalevsky-Maximovitch.jpg|rightleft|thumb|250px|Bp. [[Jean-Nectaire (Kovalevsky) of Saint-Denis]] and St. [[John Maximovitch]] in 1964]]After some years of isolation, Kovalevsky's group came under the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] between 1959 and 1966, and Kovalevsky himself was consecrated with the title of Bishop [[Jean-Nectaire (Kovalevsky) of Saint-Denis|Jean-Nectaire de Saint-Denis]] in 1964. During this time, the Eglise Orthodoxe de France received considerable encouragement from St. [[John Maximovitch]] (who was ROCOR's representative in Western Europe at the time), and his death in 1966 was a serious blow to these French Orthodox Christians, who had enjoyed an influential and holy advocate in St. John.
Meanwhile, the Moscow Patriarchate's Western rite withered and came to an end, but Bishop Jean's church continued to thrive, though after St. John's death in 1966, they were again isolated from the other Churcheschurches. Bishop Jean died in 1970, and then in 1972 the [[Church of Romania]] took the Eglise Orthodoxe de France under its [[omophorion]]. Gilles Bertrand-Hardy was consecrated as Bishop [[Germain (Bertrand-Hardy) of Saint-Denis|Germain de Saint-Denis]], and the restored Gallican rite became the regular liturgy used in the many small French Orthodox [[parish]]es established throughout France. The full splendor of that liturgy can be seen in the Cathedral of St. Irénée in Boulevard Auguste-Blanqui in Paris. In 1994, after a lengthy conflict with the Romanian Holy Synod regarding alleged canonical irregularities, the Church again found itself in canonical limbo with the deposition of Bishop Germain and the withdrawal of Romania's protection for the Church. The Romanian patriarchate established a [[deanery]] under Bishop Germain's brother Archpriest Gregoire to minister to those parishes formed by the priests and laity that chose to stay with Romania.
==External links==
*[http://orthodoxie.freeeglise-orthodoxe-de-france.fr/ l'Eglise Orthodoxe de France] (Official Website - French)*[http://pagespersowww.laposteforum-orthodoxe.net/orthodoxie/ Eglise Catholique Orthodoxe de France] (French)*[http:com/~forum/www.spc.orgviewtopic.yuphp?t=851&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60/Vesti-2005/03/10-3-05-e.html Pre-Paschal letter A bulletin board discussion on the Church of Bishop Atanasije France (Jevtic) anachronistically referred to the UACORO]as "ECOF", [[March 8in French)]], 2005
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
[[Category:Western Rite]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in France]]